Internal-combustion engine



. .Hufiy 3Q, 1929. H E CURTflg 3,7225%? INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FiledMay 5, 1927 FIGURE 2' BNVENTQR 0 in spaced relation thereto.

Patented y to. less.

HENRY E. CURTIS, 01? SAN JOSE, CELIFQRIQ IA, ASSIGNOR QF ONE-HATE D0J6EE H.

BETTS 0F LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

IHTERNAL-GQHBTJETIG N ENG-ENE.

Application filed May 5, 1327. Serial No. mess.

The present invention relates particularly to the piston head of aninternal combustion engine and its relation to the combustion chamber ofthe engine.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a construction ofthe character indicated so formed and arranged as to positively effectmore perfect combustion of the explosive mixture on compression.

It is also an object of the invention. to provide a structure of thecharacter indicated that will be simple in form and construction,economical to manufacture, and highly elficient in its practicalapplication.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a vertical transverse section through a portion of arrengineembodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the portion of an engine shown in Figure -1,part broken away.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I show at l a portion of acylinder block of an internal combustion engine with a portion of acylinder shown at 2. The combustion hamber is shown at 3 with a valveopening shown at 4: on a plane with the upper end of the cylinder 2'.The head 5 encompasses the combustion chamber 3, a portion of which isconical in form as shown at 6. The base of the conical portion 6 ispreferably circular in form. as at 7, and a portion of this circularpart overlaps the cylinder 2 a distance as at 8 and, of course, Theopening 9 is for the reception of a spark plug, not shown.

In the cylinder 2 is a piston 10 having its forward, or working, end 11formed as follows. That portion of the end of the piston operatingdirectly under the conical portion 6 of the combustion chamber pro jectsforwardly of the rest of the piston end as at 12 so that when the pistonhas reached the limit of its compression stroke the part 12 extends intothe conical portionof the combustion. chamber. The inner surface of" thepart 12 slopes in an easy curve away therefrom as at 13 and. is slightlyspaced from the edge 7 when the piston is in the said advanced position.This surface continues in a downward curve as at 14: until it approachesthe sides of the piston whereupon it curves, abruptly upwardly as at 15,defining the inner side of the wall 16.

The wall 16 is in alignment with the outer surface of the piston andmerges with. the forwardly projecting portion 1.2 at 17 and 18, adistance from its extreme end.

When the engine is in operation the'ex- 'plosion occurs when the piston10 is in the position shown. The burning gases, under the force of theexplosion, pass through the narrow space '19 being directed downwardlyand angularly by the flaring surface of the conical portion 6 inconjunction with the sloping surface .13. These gases are 'constrainedto move in the direction indicated by the arrows 20, passing over thesurfaces 14 and 15 and then along the end Wall 21 of the combustionchamber. This movement of the burning gases is important, because inthis manner the surfaces are all burned clean and remain clean of allcarbon, the gases projected into the chamber above the piston endburning from the outside toward the center instead of from the centertoward the outside as is ordinarily the case.

The diffusion of the burning gases over the entire surface of the pistonend and the adjacent surface of the explosion chamber is renderedpositive and complete by the narrow slot 19 existing at'the time of theexplosion and which directs the gases fanwise over the surfaces 1 l and15, thereby creating a turbulence that effects a perfect progressiveburning of the mixture and .eiiectually eliminates the knockingoriginating in the spotty burning-of the mixture.

lit is to be understood, of course, that while T have herein shown anddescribed but onespecilic embodiment of the invention, changes in form,construction, arrangement and method of operation may be made within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. in an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, aiston therein having a curvilinear end s'ur "ace cooperating with theopposing end of'the cylinder to form a combustion chamber and a portionprojecting forwardly of the piston, and an explosion chamber having aportion angularlyoverlying the projecting portion of the piston andclosely approaching the same at the extreme limit of its forward move-.

ment to form-a restricted passage between the chambers.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the

till

combination of a cylinder, a piston therein having an end surfacesloping inwardly from one side toward the other and cooperating with theopposing end of the cylinder to form a'conibustion chamber, and anexplosion chamber having a surface forihed thereon approaching theforward portion ofthe said piston surface to form a slot there betweenwhen the piston is at the end of its forward stroke.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, apiston therein having an end surface sloping inwardly from one sidetoward the other and then outwardly a distance and cooperating with theopposing end of the cylinder to form a combustion chamber, and anexplosion chamber having a surface formed thereon lying in part oppositethe end of the piston and approaching the forward portion of its slopingsurface to form a restricted passage therebetween when the piston is atthe forward end of its stroke.

, 4. An internal combustion engine including a conical explosion chambera cylinder communicating therewith and oilset relative thereto, theexplosion chamber being positioned forwardly of the cylinder andoverlapping the same, and a piston in the cylinder having a portion ofone end projecting forwardly a distance to extend into the explosionchamber at the limit of its compression stroke, the inner surface of theprojecting part cooperating with the opposing sun.

face of the explosion chamber in said advanced position to-form arestricted passage and curving backwardly toward the sides of the pistonand thence abruptly forwardly to form the inner side'of a forwardlyprojecting rim, the outer surface of the rim aligning with the outersurface of the piston, and the rim merging; at both ends with the baseof said forwardly projecting portion.

5. An internal combustion engine including an explosion chamber and acombustion chamber arranged in ofi'set relation to each other bothtransversely and longitudinally, the combustion chamber being formed byone end of the engine piston and the opformed inpart by the enginepiston at the end oi. its compression stroke, and a restricted passageconnecting the chambers at the time of each explosion and formed in partby the engine piston at the end of its compression stroke,

HENRY E. CURTIS.

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